In an Echo of the Iraq War, the U.S. and Europe Are Split on Iran

When France and Germany opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the George W. Bush administration dismissed them as representing “old Europe,” even as it prosecuted the war with Britain by its side. More than a decade later, Washington and all its major partners across the Atlantic find themselves on opposing sides again—this time, over how to deal with Iran.

These differences came to a head this week when Britain’s Ministry of Defense issued a backing comments made by U.S. Central Command as running “counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from U.S. and allies regarding Iranian backed forces in the region.”